Terminix Carpenter Ants

Introduction

Carpenter ants are a dangerous pest for any homeowner. Unlike termites, carpenter ants don’t eat wood but excavate it to build nests, causing significant property damage.

Learn more about what carpenter ants look like, their habitat and behavior patterns and how you can get rid of them from your home.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Carpenter ants are in the family carpenter ant subfamily, which includes ants that can be identified by the long, narrow tube-like structure on the abdomen. Carpenter ants differ from termites in that they eat wood and other products made of cellulose. Termites eat other insects and plant material. These two pests can be difficult to distinguish because they share similar characteristics like wingless adults, four membranous wings when young, and a general body shape (most species have oval bodies). They also tend to live in colonies with workers that look similar as well.

However, there are some differences between these pests:

• Carpenter Ants are usually darker than most termites; for example, their bodies may be black or reddish brown instead of white/gray like many types of subterranean termite species.* Carpenter Ants have wider heads than most termites do–about 1/3rd wider than their thoraxes.* Male carpenter ants have one large pair of spines located on each side near the tip (front) edge of their heads while female winged ones don’t have these extra spines at all so you could tell them apart just by looking at them carefully if necessary.”

CARPENTER ANTS ARE DANGEROUS

Carpenter ants are dangerous. They can damage your home and cause allergic reactions or bites. If a carpenter ant colony is in your house, you should call a professional to have it removed immediately. Carpenter ants do not attack humans but they do bite when they feel threatened or trapped in an area that has no other way out.

Carpenter ants can also carry diseases, such as salmonella poisoning that could lead to diarrhea and fever if ingested by humans. Additionally, these pests can spread disease through their saliva when biting humans who disturb them while building their nests inside walls of homes and buildings where food sources are present such as sugar water left out by homeowners unaware of the problem until it’s too late!

HOW DO YOU GET CARPENTER ANTS?

Carpenter ants are attracted to moist wood. They can get into your home through cracks in the foundation or holes in your roof, walls, or windows.

WHAT DO CARPENTER ANTS LOOK LIKE?

Carpenter ant adults are about 1/4 to 1/2 inch long. They have a large head, a constricted waist and smooth, rounded abdomen that is black or brown in color. Ants of some species have two pairs of wings; however, the wings themselves are not functional and do not allow them to fly. Carpenter ants have two antennae (feelers) which they use to feel their way around while walking on rough surfaces or tree bark.

HABITAT & BEHAVIOR

Carpenter ants are attracted to moisture and can be found in the home, especially in moist areas such as near plumbing or under sinks. Carpenter ants are not aggressive and will only sting when threatened or stepped on. Carpenter ants live in wood and may be found nesting inside structures that are made of wood such as houses, decks, fences and planks on the ground. They can cause structural damage by boring into wood to create a nest for laying eggs. The damage they cause is more noticeable during the spring months when there is an increase in activity from carpenter ants because this is when they construct new nests for their offspring (eggs).

WHAT IS THE LIFE CYCLE OF A CARPENTER ANT?

Carpenter ants go through a complete metamorphosis, meaning they have four distinct life stages: egg, larva, worker ant and queen. The female carpenter ant lays her eggs in or near the colony or wherever she finds soft wood to tunnel into. The larvae hatch from these eggs after about three days, and they feed on the wood pulp created by their mother’s chewing. They grow rapidly into large grubs called pupae after 5–6 weeks of feeding. After several more weeks of development inside the pupa stage, workers emerge from their cocoons as wingless females (gynes). These females are capable of reproducing with males who mate with them outside of the nest during nuptial flight; however it is much more common for female carpenter ants to reproduce within their colonies where they will spend most if not all of their lives caring for other members of their colony including future generations that may not even be born yet!

SIGNS OF INFESTATION IN YOUR HOME

Termites leave behind unmistakable signs of their presence. You may see:

• Termite droppings. These are small, brown pellets that look like tiny grains of rice and can be found on window sills or other areas around your home.
• Termite mud tubes. These thin, white tubes stick out of wood that has been eaten by termites; they’re often found near windows or along walls near the ground.
• Termite wings. Winged insects that look like flies or mosquitoes are actually winged forms of immature termites looking for a mate—a sure sign your house is infested with these pests!

Learn how to spot signs of a termite infestation.

Termite infestations can be difficult to detect, but they’re not impossible to spot. Here are some signs that you have a termite problem:

• Signs in the Home
• Cracked wood flooring or drywall. These can be signs of drywood termites, which literally digest the wood and leave behind a powdery residue.
• Small piles of sawdust around baseboards, windowsills, or door frames are also an indication that there is an active colony near your home. The workers bring this sawdust back from the field with them and deposit it outside their nest for safekeeping from predators like ants and spiders that eat insects like termites (which they themselves feed upon).

If you see these little piles around your home but no actual insects scurrying about inside it, then it’s possible that there are no termites present at all—they may simply be passing through as part of their journey between fields where they feed on decaying wood sources like trees or dead stumps out in nature away from our homes here in town where we live!

Conclusion

With these tips and techniques, you can detect a carpenter ant infestation early and save the integrity of your home. If you’d like help with your pest control problem, call Terminix® to schedule an inspection today.